imagineNATIVE lines up 115

The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival has rolled out its 2017 line-up – 115 feature films, documentaries, shorts, and music videos.

All titles have at least one indigenous director, producer or writer, and hail from 101 indigenous nations in 16 countries. 72% of the selections come from female directors. Over half the programme (67 titles) is Canadian.

A number of titles make the trip from this year’s Wairoa Maori Film Festival including Becs Arahanga’s Laundry (for which Aidee Walker won Wairoa’s Audience Award for Best Actress), Jeremiah Tauamiti’s Maria (which won the Moana Prize for Best Pasifika short), Dave Whitehead’s Possum.

Also heading for Toronto will be Dianna Fuemana’s Sunday Fun Day, which played in the Nga Whanaunga programme at this year’s NZIFF, Tim Worrall’s Meke, and Kia Tau (Be at Rest) (pictured, top), made earlier this year by Michelle Latimer, Chris Malloy and Yamin Tun as part of Maoriland Film Festival’s Native Slam.

Aussies get a look in too with Warwick Thornton’s period western Sweet Country, led by Sam Neill, among the features on offer.